Irvine, California

Irvine is an incorporated city located in Orange County, California. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated in 1971, the 46-square mile city has a population of 152,048 (as of 2003). It currently has plans to annex an undeveloped area to the north, as well as the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, most of which is to be made into a park called the Orange County Great Park.

Related Topics:
Orange County, California - Planned city - Irvine Company - 1960s - 1971 - As of 2003 - El Toro Marine Corps Air Station - Orange County Great Park

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Irvine has been consistently ranked among the safest cities in the U.S., currently it is ranked first overall according to FBI's 2005 crime statistics.

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The city has also been acclaimed for its stellar public schools under the Irvine Unified School District, attracting young families seeking schools with above average standardized test scores and other performance distinctions. Residents living in the western and northern regions of Irvine are served by the Tustin Unified School District, which is similarly noted for its outstanding schools winning national recognition. Irvine is home to the University of California, Irvine (UCI), ranked the 10th best public university in the nation according to the U.S. News and World Reports 2006 annual rankings, and 40th overall.

Related Topics:
Irvine Unified School District - Tustin Unified School District - University of California, Irvine

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Irvine is a growing hub of the commercial and technology industries. Companies in the technology sector, including the American division of Toshiba, Blizzard Entertainment, and Broadcom call the city of Irvine home. Other major corporations have settled into the city as well, such as the offices of automotive giants Ford and Mazda, as well as fast food chains In-N-Out Burger and Taco Bell, both of which are headquartered in Irvine. The city's two biggest employers are UCI and Verizon Wireless.

Related Topics:
Toshiba - Blizzard Entertainment - Broadcom - Ford - Mazda - In-N-Out - Taco Bell - Verizon Wireless

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In recent years, the area has attracted a number of minority groups notably comprised of Chinese-American, Korean-American, Indian-American and Iranian-American populations. The presence of such diversity is reflected by the emergence of various ethnically-influenced small businesses in local shopping centers. However, Irvine is not to be mistaken with cities comprised of much larger Asian populations such as Westminster and La Palma or in Los Angeles County cities such as Monterey Park, Cerritos and Rowland Heights.

Related Topics:
Los Angeles County - Monterey Park - Cerritos - Rowland Heights

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In 1992, former Irvine mayor Larry Agran briefly attracted national attention by running as a protest candidate for the Democratic Presidential nomination.

Related Topics:
Larry Agran - Protest candidate - Democratic

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